Two Impressive and Very Large New Caledonian Gourd Water Vessels Held in their Original Ornamental Twisted Fibre Slings

Two Impressive and Very Large New Caledonian Gourd Water Vessels Held in their Original Ornamental Twisted Fibre Slings
One with the acquisition date in ink to the base: ‘June 17th 1926’ and an earlier old illegible paper label
19th Century

Sizes: a: 44cm high – 17¼ ins high
b: 31cm high – 12¼ ins high

Provenance: From the collection of William Young Kirk-Young, of Harrogate, Yorkshire. Died 1932. Sold by his descendants at Auction 2009
cf The James Hooper Collection Plate 153 1244-6

The Southern outpost of Melanesia is the archipelago formed by New Caledonia, the Huon and Belep Islands, the Isle of Pines and the Loyalty Islands, a group of raised coral islands to the east. New Caledonia is almost completely encircled by barrier reefs and is mountainous with several high peaks over 5000 feet. The flora is outstandingly rich in unique species, which indicates a prolonged period of isolation since remote geological time. The fruit bat known as the ‘flying fox’ was the sole resident mammal before the arrival of man.